Milk Affects Antioxidant Levels
Tea is known around the world for its health benefits and flavor. Studies show that tea may help to decrease the risk of developing diseases like cardiovascular disease and certain cancers as tea is rich in antioxidants. However, according to researchers at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, U.K, adding milk to black tea will decrease the antioxidants level.
The researchers measured the antioxidant capacity of 5 brands of tea and then added 10ml, 15ml, and 20 ml of whole, semi-skimmed and skimmed cow milk to 200ml tea infusion. The antioxidant capacity of the tea with skimmed milk decreased significantly more than either the tea with milk or semi-skimmed milk.
Milk is known to contain a number of fat soluble antioxidants- tocopherols, carotenoids, and retinols. Thus, decreasing the fat content of milk may eliminate a number of the fat soluble antioxidant components and therefore, decrease its antioxidant potential.
The study, “Addition of Whole, Semi-skimmed and Skimmed Bovine Milk Reduces the Total Antioxidant Capacity of Black Tea”. Appeared in the January 2010 issue of Nutrition Research. p/s: Black tea is a variety of tea that is more oxidized than the oolong, green, and white varieties. All four varieties are made from leaves of //Camellia sinensis//. Black tea is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than the less oxidized teas. Two principal varieties of the species are used, the small-leaved Chinese variety plant (C. sinensis subsp. sinensis), also used for green and white teas, and the large-leaved Assamese plant (C. sinensis subsp. assamica), which was traditionally only used for black tea, although in recent years some green has been produced.
In Chinese and Chinese influenced languages, black tea is known as "crimson tea" (紅茶, Mandarin Chinesehóngchá; Japanesekōcha; 홍차, Koreanhongcha), a description of the colour of the liquid; the term black tea refers to the colour of the oxidized leaves. In Chinese, "black tea" is a commonly used classification for post-fermented teas, such as Pu-erh tea; in the Western world, "red tea" more commonly refers to rooibos, a South Africantisane.
Tea is known around the world for its health benefits and flavor. Studies show that tea may help to decrease the risk of developing diseases like cardiovascular disease and certain cancers as tea is rich in antioxidants. However, according to researchers at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, U.K, adding milk to black tea will decrease the antioxidants level.
The researchers measured the antioxidant capacity of 5 brands of tea and then added 10ml, 15ml, and 20 ml of whole, semi-skimmed and skimmed cow milk to 200ml tea infusion. The antioxidant capacity of the tea with skimmed milk decreased significantly more than either the tea with milk or semi-skimmed milk.
Milk is known to contain a number of fat soluble antioxidants- tocopherols, carotenoids, and retinols. Thus, decreasing the fat content of milk may eliminate a number of the fat soluble antioxidant components and therefore, decrease its antioxidant potential.
The study, “Addition of Whole, Semi-skimmed and Skimmed Bovine Milk Reduces the Total Antioxidant Capacity of Black Tea”. Appeared in the January 2010 issue of Nutrition Research.
p/s: Black tea is a variety of tea that is more oxidized than the oolong, green, and white varieties. All four varieties are made from leaves of //Camellia sinensis//. Black tea is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than the less oxidized teas. Two principal varieties of the species are used, the small-leaved Chinese variety plant (C. sinensis subsp. sinensis), also used for green and white teas, and the large-leaved Assamese plant (C. sinensis subsp. assamica), which was traditionally only used for black tea, although in recent years some green has been produced.
In Chinese and Chinese influenced languages, black tea is known as "crimson tea" (紅茶, Mandarin Chinese hóngchá; Japanese kōcha; 홍차, Korean hongcha), a description of the colour of the liquid; the term black tea refers to the colour of the oxidized leaves. In Chinese, "black tea" is a commonly used classification for post-fermented teas, such as Pu-erh tea; in the Western world, "red tea" more commonly refers to rooibos, a South African tisane.
Black tea